Tuesday, July 26, 2011

It is often said that one of the problems with communicating climate change is that you cannot feel or see climate. Climate is, as scientists never cease to explain, the statistics of weather. This is, of course, a working definition for climate sciences. But is this the only one? Or are there other working definitions imaginable, let's say for cultural sciences, for poetry, for art, for literature, or for history? Isn't it also possible to "sense" climate, to experience it, to feel it, to touch it?

Key Statement: I suggest that the UNFCCC be extended. The climate problem, and the political targets presented as a solution, should be aimed at restricting anthropogenic radiative forcing to limit the rate and gradients of climate change, before limiting its eventual magnitude.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

A new version of sea-surface temperature data corrects some bias due to the different methods to measure water temperature, either with non-insulated buckets, insulated buckets and engine intakes. However, the global sea-surface temperature history still raises many questions.

Monday, July 11, 2011

This is the second post about Olafur Eliasson, the Danish-Icelandic artist. First one was about his weather project in Tate Modern, where he installed an artificial sun. This one is about an exhibition in 2010 in the Museum of Contemporary Art, where several installations on meteorology were on display. Tom Melick wrote a great piece about this project, which is of interest also for climate scientists. For two simple reasons: it is about weather / climate, and good poetry or art are as exact as science.

Monday, July 4, 2011

The Guardian reported under the headline "Has the green movement lost its way? Anti-nuclear, anti-capitalist, anti-flying: the green movement may have alienated more people than it has won over, and there are now calls for a new kind of environmentalism"

This refers to the debate in the UK and it will be interesting to see what you make of it when looking at Germany.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Under this headline The Independent, a UK newspaper, carries an article today claiming that scientists are going to end the 20-year reluctance with a study into global warming and exceptional weather events. The Independent's science writer says that this means a "radical departure from a previous equivocal position that many [scientists] now see as increasingly untenable."

Sustainable use of KLIMAZWIEBEL

The participants of KLIMAZWIEBEL are made of a diverse group of people interested in the climate issue; among them people, who consider the man-made climate change explanation as true, and others, who consider this explanation false. We have scientists and lay people; natural scientists and social scientists. People with different cultural and professional backgrounds. This is a unique resource for a relevant and inspiring discussion. This resource needs sustainable management by everybody. Therefore we ask to pay attention to these rules:

1. We do not want to see insults, ad hominem comments, lengthy tirades, ongoing repetitions, forms of disrespect to opponents. Also lengthy presentation of amateur-theories are not welcomed. When violating these rules, postings will be deleted.2. Please limit your contributions to the issues of the different threads.3. Please give your name or use an alias - comments from "anonymous" should be avoided.4. When you feel yourself provoked, please restrain from ranting; instead try to delay your response for a couple of hours, when your anger has evaporated somewhat.5. If you wan to submit a posting (begin a new thread), send it to either Eduardo Zorita or Hans von Storch - we publish it within short time. But please, only articles related to climate science and climate policy.6. Use whatever language you want. But maybe not a language which is rarely understood in Hamburg.